New Years Day College Football Parlay – 3 Bowl Game Bet

The best 3 team/game parlay on Friday, January 1st, starts with the Capital One Bowl where LSU takes on Penn State, and ends in the Sugar Bowl where Florida takes on Cincinnati.

In both games, two prominent SEC teams take on a couple of two highly regarded teams that, to me, appear better on paper than they did on the television screen.  In any case, the three game parlay also incorporates a team playing in the Rose Bowl.

Let’s take a look at all three college bowl predictions for my 3 Team Parlay on Friday.

Capital One Bowl – LSU Tigers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions

Kick-off:  1:00 pm EST

College Bowl Odds:  Penn State -2 ½

Analysis:  The trends point to this being a very good game as both LSU, who is 4 and 0 ATS in their last 4 bowl games, and Penn State, who is 4 and 1 ATS versus a team with a winning record, are expertly coached, but there is an issue that Penn State really hasn’t addressed in my mind.

Yes, the Nittany Lions’ offensive line looked absolutely dominating against teams like Syracuse, Michigan and Michigan State, but it’s still young and inexperienced and showed that during losses to Ohio State and Iowa this season.

LSU’s defensive front seven can be flat out dominating at times.  They should be able to get to quarterback Daryll Clark. On offense, the Tigers will be without running back Charles Scott, but this is LSU, man.  They’ll find someone to carry the ball against Penn State’s defense.

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Coach Les Miles doesn’t let the Tigers get down on themselves and will have them ready to kick Penn State in the mouth.  I like LSU’s toughness in this game, they lost to Florida 13 to 3 and Alabama 24 to 15, and expect them to handle the Nittany Lions in this bowl.

Winning Pick:  LSU Tigers at +2 ½

Rose Bowl – Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Oregon Ducks

Kick-off:  5:00 pm EST

College Bowl Odds:  Oregon -4

Analysis: 

Pryor is hurt, but according to him the slight tear of his posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee shouldn’t be an issue.  Okay, whatever, Terrelle.  Of course it will be an issue!

Ohio State’s defense isn’t going to be able to hold Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli and the rest of Oregon Duck’s offense from putting up 30 or more points in this game. We say that because the Ducks did it in 10 out of 12 games during the regular season.  That means that Pryor, who led the Buckeyes in rushing and passing during the regular season, will need to get the Buckeyes into the end zone and go tit-for-tat in the scoring department.

Will that be possible?  Not when your best offensive player, and QB is has a tear to his PCL.  Oregon should roll all over the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl.

Winning Pick: Oregon Ducks at -4

Sugar Bowl – Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Florida Gators

Kick-off:  8:30 pm EST

College Bowl Odds:  Florida -12 ½

Analysis:  The Florida Gators may be disappointed that they won’t be playing for the BCS Championship, but make no mistake, they won’t pull a Crimson Tide. In the 2008 Sugar Bowl, Bama let the disappointment of losing the SEC Championship get to them, and they lost to Utah.

These Florida Gators are a different team, and they’re flat out good. They also have three things going for them in this game:  First, they get terrific defensive end Carlos Dunlop back from a suspension; he didn’t play in the Sugar Bowl. Second, the Sugar Bowl will be QB Tim Tebow’s final game and he and his teammates will want him to leave Gainesville a winner.  Finally, head coach Urban Meyer will patrol the sidelines for the Gators in the Sugar Bowl and you know the players will rally behind their sick leader.

Cincinnati?  Their head coach, Brian Kelly, hot footed it to Notre Dame and the Bearcats will have to settle for the play calling of Butch Jones.  The Bearcats also had to tough it out against West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Connecticut.

There won’t be any “toughing it out” against the Florida Gators in the Sugar bowl.

Winning Pick: Florida Gators at -12 ½